Worldview - Does MFW promote a thirst for Christ?

[niki]

I am new to the message board and my husband and I are looking towards starting MFW this fall. However, I have a couple of questions for those of you who have done MFW for awhile.

It is truly biblically based? Are the studies based around the Bible, or is it kind of added in? Does it develop a thirst for Christ? Is it more education based or discipleship based?

Thanks for your time and input,
Michelle Jaeger

K and 1st are completely a Bible curriculum.
Adv is woven with Bible as you study the names of Christ.

This is all we've done so far and my kids have a great thirst for Christ. Many great discussions in regards to our relationship and life with Christ and our purpose as Christ followers arise out of our studies in MFW. My life has been greatly enriched as I teach my kids using MFW. I am so looking forward to teach ECC and fan the passion my kids have for people around the world.

Your family will surely be blessed with MFW

[cbollin]

Posted Fri May 11, 2007 3:43 pm
and updated April 2008
Welcome to the board. What an awesome thread this should be. I look forward to hearing many replies on this one. :)

One thing is certain, you cannot take God out of My Father's World. At its very core, MFW is a curriculum that is all about training the hearts and minds, to help Raise Up Generations of Godly Families who see the world through God’s eyes and have God’s heart for the nations.. That’s not just a cute little slogan --- it is the essence of MFW as a company and as a curriculum.

With that said, it does take the work of the Holy Spirit to accomplish it.

I’m going to give 2 posts on this. This first one is the overview of the Bible lessons in MFW and how it is all integrated. And then I’ll chime in on just how using MFW has impacted our family in ways that I’m still looking back and seeing God’s hand in our lives and living according to that knowledge.

The Word of God is integrated in different parts of the program from Bible readings, memory verses, and even in science lessons. It is not an after thought or devotional add on. It is the first thought.

The overall progression through the years for Bible into the overall program:

K: K: get to know the Creator and how to relate to Him. studying creation, and laying a foundation of Biblically based character in an age appropriate way. You can see a brief description of the themes for K on this link
http://www.mfwbooks.com/k_theme.htm (sample, "contents" page)

1st: 1st: age appropriate overview from Genesis to Revelation in art/phonics/composition. Memory work/character from Proverbs. They will learn all of the names of the books of the Bible this year too.

Adventures: unit study on names of Jesus (Gospel overview and analogy) and learning how science can show us about Him. So, when you study Jesus is the Living Water, you have science lessons about water. It makes a little bit more sense on this sample page with table of contents.
http://www.mfwbooks.com/pdf/advsample.pdf

Exploring Countries and Cultures: In ECC, you are studying the book of Matthew, line by line. You are using the gospel to teach many things including how Jesus walked and talked with the disciples. At the end of Matthew we read Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. So you spend the whole year learning more of who Jesus is and the good news and how He helped his disciples get ready to go. So in that sense it is integrated into the overall theme of going into the world. We’ve spent time learning many places and people around the globe and we’ve heard stories of Christians who did extraordinary things. And at younger ages, we don’t have to have them learn it all at once. Additionally, you will learn about various Godly character traits for character training with your children.

CTG: An Old Testament survey as the spine for learning world history in ancient time. In other words, in this program, the Bible is the main history ”text”

RTR: a New Testament survey while studying Roman times. includes reading through book of Luke among other things. Then the shift into middle ages in history brings in church history. (history is from time of Christ to reformation. So NT and church history) Still have your Bible lessons, but then you add in a bit more as you learn that God didn’t stop existing at the end of the New Testament. Again, you learn about many people who lived for Jesus.

EX1850: by this point, your Bible lessons can’t really be tied to history all the time. You still learn about the impact of Christianity in the picture of world history and how even today the Bible is important to help us with our own problems and trials. You continue to learn about missionaries and martyrs. The text for the entire year is the book of James --- while we learn about the problems that people faced in history, we get to see how God’s word can impact our lives when we have problems. Focus begins to take more personal application in our lives.

1850-MT: God and his people still affect history and current events. Prayer affects nations and history.. And there is a section to help your family pray for things to come so that we are not just passively watching history while it is being made. So, again, it moves to personal application.

The Bible studies in this year are really good. You use several books to cover many things. In A Young Person's Guide to Knowing God, you are given many examples of what God was doing in the little things and how everyday life shows who God is and that He is active in our lives.

Then, there is a book called Tales of Persia --- it is book of missionaries stories from the early to mid parts of the 1900's of what will now be called Iran.

And a study guide called Witnesses to all the World. I am liking that book even though it's a little hard and geared up a bit. Easy to use for family discussions. And it is tying in so perfectly with what my church is studying. Amazing to watch God do all of this.

We also have lots of prayer focus points in year 5. On her own, my 9 y.o daughter developed a heart to pray for the Muslims in western China. That's not in the curriculum itself, but praying for people groups is. God is so good!!!

And of course the read alouds in the deluxe package are part of Bible time too (they integrate over several subjects).

High School: Well, all I know is that year 1 of high school is to help with worldview and such. You read the entire Old Testament as the spine for world history. (in CTG, you read a lot of the OT). Books from ancient times are studied from a Christian perspective. So you aren’t learning Homer to follow Homer, but rather to see how people in history have always needed to have purpose in their lives, and that whole spiritual meaning of life thing. You know that kind of “why should study this stuff?” thing that we all went through as teenagers.
But ---- the best way for answers on high school is to call MFW office. I’m just not in that part of the program


God’s word is very much part of MFW. It is not a tag on subject. I’ll chime back in with some personal impact of how using MFW for 4 years has drawn my family closer to the Lord and finding “out of the box” ways to serve as senders.

MFW has a homeschool convention workshop that is called Integrating God's Word and Character Building through Your Curriculum. You might want to listen to it. Here's a link to a recording of it. You can order a CD or MP3 download to hear it
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?t=3234

looking forward to hearing those personal stories.....
--crystal

[cbollin]

I wanted to share some of the personal stuff of how over the last 4 years of using MFW that have influenced our family to want to be serving Christ. Let me try my best to keep it short and general instead of a long story.

We aren’t that great of a family. Kids fight, tempers flare. They sometimes run from the school table to avoid school. And dinner still isn’t on time. We ain’t your top quality pastoral staff type of family either. Ok – that’s so you know I’m not that great. Jesus is – but we aren’t. But, we are not failures yet either.

*thanks to the stories that MFW uses for read alouds, our family has the opportunity to talk about spiritual things with the kids. Before we used MFW, we read good literature out loud. It wasn’t anti-religious, but it wasn’t promoting valuable discussion of our spiritual lives either. MFW changed that.

*we were encouraged by stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It made us want to be better in our walk with Christ as adults. And then our children see us trying to do that.

*we were reading the same scriptures at the same time! And trying to memorize them together. We didn’t do that before MFW.

*we pray more for more things because of the stuff we’re learning in MFW.

*we’ve learned the impact of “serving as senders” for missionaries. Sometimes in these missionary biographies, not only do we follow the title character, but we see the support staff. Maybe other families aren’t being shown that --- but I believe the Lord opens my family’s eyes in different ways.

*MFW materials have helped changed the way we look at being stewards of His money. It's more than just NOT spending it on stuff. This one little story we read in ECC, there was this guy (I can’t remember his name, that’s embarrassing) who always lived at the same level of wages even though the Lord increased his salary. He just gave more to what God told him to do. That impacted our lives. And our children aren’t kept in the dark about how we spend God’s money.

We now regularly are able to give money to help translate Bibles. My oldest daughter wanted to do something fancy to help raise money to print Bibles for people in other places. We prayed. And God set a series of events in motion that would take up a lot of space on this board. But, HE used her gift of a love for reading to help raise money to print Bibles. And at the same time to help me see what I thought was a passing thought or daydream come to life to have that money go to a specific people group. It was a seed planted from a book we read in ECC. It took until we were in EX1850 to see it come to life.

That’s the short list.

oh yeah.... and the academics are top notch quality too! Each year the academics increase in expectation and workload.

-crystal

Posted Fri May 11, 2007 9:28 pm
Just to be sure... None of that happened overnight. It took us 4 years to get to that point. I don't want it read like it changed all of a sudden. It took time. God ain't done with any of us yet.
**
Toni told about it on her blog:
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?t=3917
--crystal

[Mama2boys]

Alright, that's enough..., I'm gonna go from being HYPOTHETICAL to whipping out the credit card!

[Michelle Jaeger]

Thank you so much for your generous input! It really helped us get a feel for the overall layout of His story. God is truly mighty and works great things through many people, and this seems to be an example of that. Nothing is impossible with God
Thanks again!
Michelle J.!

[BIKERMOM]

Crystal,
I was encouraged by your post, because I feel like such a failure sometimes ! It usually happens when I get my eyes off the Lord and onto my circumstances--- forgetting that in my weakness- He is strong. Thank you for being transparent.

Laurie

[4Truth]

Crystal shared specific examples of changes that have occurred in her family; I just want to add that MFW is making gradual changes in our family, too. The lessons taught in MFW help to solidify what our purpose is here on earth, and God has confirmed to us time and time again through sermons and lessons at church that we are on the right track with MFW. They just seem to go hand-in-hand... you know, almost as if God planned it that way or something. ;o)

To quote Crystal, "You cannot take God out of My Father's World." This is a lot more than just an academic curriculum, although it certainly is that, as well. There's a foundation that's been laid below the academics, a foundation cemented in the Word of God and Jesus Christ which is then weaved upward through the academics, which in turn places our ultimate purpose and service to Him above the academics. And this is why we home educate our children. It's not just to "get them saved", but to teach them how to love and serve God in many different ways. It's real discipleship.

[mamaofredheads]

Crystal's suggested various tapes of convention workshops by David Hazell in the past and I finally ordered some last week. I would HIGHLY recommend the tape "Integrating God's Word and Character Building through Your Curriculum"! It gives a terrific picture of MFW's purpose, plan, layout, etc. We've used MFW for 4 years now & I so wish I had listened to this in the beginning. I think it's great for anyone using MFW or even considering it. I was so encouraged to see the "big picture", and to stay the course...everything that is included is there for a purpose.

I got the one from Best Christian Conferences from the 2006 Indiana Association of Home Educators, on Integrating Character.

Off to listen to more CDs :)
Glenna

[ed. note: More info on MFW CD's here:
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?t=3234 ]

[Lucy]

Hey all,

What a great thread this has been. This is our 5th year and I will say too the bible is never an add on. I will add just a bit to Crystal's descriptions.

Year 4 : Marie chose to do the study of James because of the hardships that were faced by many as our nation was born.

In year 5 we have done several things. We have used a book called A Young Person's Guide to Knowing God. This book has been used to challenge us in our own walk with God. We have spent a lot of time praying for places with people who follow other religions or none at all . We have done this in coordination with places that we are studying at certain time in history. I have not gotten to the last study but it is called Witnesses to All the World and explores how we will personally respond to being His ambassadors for Christ. I think I am looking most forward to this one since this has been the cry of my heart since we returned from India.


Besides the time that is called bible, a biblical view is woven throughout the curriculum without changing or weakening its academic effectiveness. You asked if it is more education-based or discipleship-based, and in MFW curriculum it is both!

Personally, we have been challenged in the way we look at almost everything we do. We too have kids that are not perfect and still fight at times but little by little I am seeing the holy spirit do his work. I am still praying that all the knowledge will make that little 12 in. jump from their head to their heart. That is His job.

Earlier this year we took a trip to India with our whole family. It was amazing and it really made me appreciate how much MFW incorporates a biblical world view into every year .

May God bless you all as you seek to know Him so you can make Him known.
Lucy

[kfrench]

The bible in Adventures has been great. I use to think it was too little but lately each day has been a new message to me and my girls. We are studying the names of Christ and it has been really good I have learned alot and so have my girls there seems to be discussion on each thing we read. We are learning about Jesus as the good shepart and reading Mountain born about a family that raises sheep. That has really helped my girls understand the role of a shepard in caring for his sheep. It goes on and on but The holy spirit works even in little bits of scripture each day. ANd we love all the stories about children that had so little, obeyed their parents and were so well behaved and how they trusted GOD. There is such a lesson of perseverance that can be appied to sticking with God no matter what bad things may happen.
Kris

[Lucy]

Our family has hs for 15 yrs. I have 2 done with school a 16dd and an 8ds. I am just really seeing that as they go up in age the bible just gets less and less. In some programs the bible is an option. As I plan out my dd last 2 years and my ds years...I would love for them to be filled with God in and out of every subject. I think that's whats' missing.

I would LOVE to hear from people who have completed several years of MFW. What can you tell me and how has the 5 year plan worked for you?

Our family is in our 11th year of homeschooling and in our 7th year with MFW. MFW has been a great blessing over and over and, although it is strong academically, Bible (including character, missions, and presenting a Biblical world view) is never an afterthought or add-on. It is the heart of MFW to use the great books and the bible together to see God's hand in all of history and life. I have been challenged many times as we have studied God's word together and read about great heros of our faith.

I am particularly impressed with how the Bible and a Biblical world view are being woven into the high school curriculum. I see my daughter really learning to think through tough questions and to view all that she reads or learns about through God's word.

I know others will chime in too. The strong bible plan in MFW is why so many of us have loved this curriculum.
Lucy

[niki]

We've used MFW for the last 4 years. I must say I love the Biblical world view, I loved praying for the countries as we studied geography, I loved studying the names of Jesus and how science was related to that in Adv. I loved the character training in K as they rememberd little sayings as we moved through the letters in the alphabet H for horse: "I obey right away" and we'd talk through scriptures that teach us this. I loved the Bible reader in 1st and their Bible notebook. I love studying ancient history with the Bible as our main textbook in CTG - what amazing discussions we have had in our home. So looking forward to RTR next year (I confess, I'm already looking ahead). Anyway, that's just the Bible, there's so much more that I love about this curriculum, but this post is getting long as it is.

PS did I mention that my kids enjoy school!?!?

May God lead you as you continue to teach your children.

Niki

[cbollin]

Hi Tanya.

I've been homeschooling since around 1999 or 2000 ish or so. Since 2003, I've used MFW. I love how God is so integrated into MFW's curriculum. We've grown much over the years while using MFW. Much of it has come from praying together for people groups around the world, and from the missionary biographies, and from the read alouds. It has really changed the way we think and act.

We've done the entire 5 year cycle and love each year. Last year in 1850MOD we had a great year seeing God's hand in modern history in the entire world. Reading biographies of normal people who do extraordinary things has inspired us to try doing stuff.

I'm wanting to link back to an older thread about how MFW's curriculum helps develop a "thirst for Christ". I hope something in this thread has some interesting reading for you as you wait for others to chime with more recent experiences. [above]

My oldest daughter is in 7th grade and is already telling me that she's looking forward to doing MFW for high school because she wants to read the whole Bible and never seems to stick with a reading plan, but that she can always stick to the MFW lesson plans. So, she's excited about that. She's honest and says she not excited to doing the writing in high school. But from listening to a high school friend of ours who has helped to pilot the MFW high school program, we know that the writing will help to really own that Biblical worldview as you read the Bible and think and dig around and compare worldviews.

-crystal

[Julie in MN]

Tanya,
At the top of this archive board http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewforum.php?f=8 , there are a few threads with asterisks (*) that have many precious testimonies and links to even more good discussions. I always enjoy re-reading some of those for inspiration :o)


As for my own testimony, we are on our 5th year with MFW. Before that, I was designing my own curriculum for my high school daughter. I was trying to do everything that MFW already does:

* Read directly from the Bible, hold it, open it, locate things within it, know where exactly we are reading from. (My personal early history includes being misled in a major way by different folks quoting random verses, with opposing conclusions, so I have a strong bias against "Bible via individual verses.")
* My ultimate goal is getting through every word during the school years. That was the first question I asked Marie Hazell when I met her -- and I was thrilled with her plans to complete this journey during high school!
* Add depth to the Bible without replacing the Bible (prayer, hymns, apologetics, memory work).
* Hold the Bible up beside other religions without fear, being sure that God's truth will only be more greatly revealed.
* Start history with the fall of man -- something I only later realized was the missing piece in other programs I used, causing the whole of history to be a jumble because we hadn't connected it with its origins.
* Connect the worlds of history and science and art and more to God's history and creation - in meaningful ways - not just by tacking a Bible verse onto the bottom of each page.
* Use the Bible as an important educational tool -- from grammar copywork to history.
* Learn in many ways (facts, wonderful stories, biographies, timelines, review games, hands-on that is not more paper) so that the important learning doesn't evaporate.
* Well, I didn't learn this til *after* I started using MFW, but -- let my kids have an "end" to their learning day and the freedom to explore the interests and bents that God created within them. I guess this is MFW's "learning to love to learn"?

Oh, I'll stop now. Enjoy our Father's world!
Julie

[cbollin]

This question is very pre-mature for my kids young ages, but I sometimes like to start my thinking at the end point and work my way backwards.

One of the reasons we home school is we would like our kids to understand our faith, a faith we 'hope' will be a part of their lives, and understand why they believe what they believe. We also want them to know, before leaving our home someday, what others believe and the reasons we don't think the way they do. Lastly, we want them to respect all people regardless of their beliefs; while simultaneously being strong enough in their own faith ('hope') to not be swayed by the wind.

So my question is:

Are the Bible/Christian/Creation/Intelligent Design Apologetics with MFW enough, or do you supplement as they reach past age 10 and the teen years?

I like that: what's the end goal and work backwards.

The only things that I have had to add to Bible "Bible/Christian/Creation/Intelligent Design Apologetics with MFW" are not really curriculum stuff: instead it is living it out.

We live those things.
*regular church attendance to be with other believers, and living sacrificially.
*service projects (in high school there is a specific part on the grid to do service each week, so I'm not adding that to MFW,
*opportunities to share with at least family members who aren't Christ followers. (my 15 y.o recently got to share with grandparents lots of her music. My dd listens to K Love all the time! ) Then when grandpa had this "interesting" religious question, my dd and dh were able to talk with grandpa about it together with grandpa. My dd pulled out her Bible and read some things she had just read in MFW AHL and gave her answer. Grandpa then asked something about aliens and ufo's and all of that - and guess what? my kiddo had her copy of The New Answers Book and guess what the chapter was the day before? yeah... so, she read some of it to Grandpa. ok. ok... go God.
*a homeschooled friend of my oldest dd announced on facebook a few months ago that he realized he wasn't really a Christian and thought of himself as an atheist. My daughter (along with many others) continued to friend him and "talk church" things with him. We prayed and watched God move in this young guy's life and heart and sure enough, he recently upload a video of where he gave his testimony at his church that he recommitted his life to Christ and has decided that it is now his faith, and not just his parent's faith. oh yeah, they are a mfw using family too and have been for a long time. (and I say that just to say, remember, it's a God thing even when we as parents do the right stuff)


not necessarily curriculum, but I've added more books on purity at teen level. MFW has books to cover some of it (Wonderful Way Babies are Made in elementary and used in RTR), and even in high school there are books in the health curriculum, and even topics while you read the entire OT. However, we did add books to match what her Sunday School class was discussing (effects of how we dress, behave, etc. what's going on inside the guy's mind. that kind of stuff) In other words, MFW has some of that, but when she in middle school, we thought it was a great time to do an extra book on the topic.

We supplement with life and living out what we are learning.

I just want to say that one thing that changed our family from MFW is learning about Bible translation. I don't know if you've seen the new website for God's Word for the Nations or not. Click on the MFW missions page. But yeah, we "supplemented" Bible (if you can call it supplementing) by actively becoming involved with fund raising for Bible translation, and it's not even limited to what GWN is doing.

MFW really is about raising generations of godly families who see the world through God's eyes and live according to that knowledge. They definitely give us customers the right ingredients for that.

-crystal

[dhudson]

MFW does a great job incorporating Bible, faith issues and apologetics into all of their curriculum. It's one of the main reasons we chose MFW 9 years ago and why we have stayed with it for all of these years. Each year we look into all the options to make sure that we have chosen what is best for our kids and because of the strong Bible, mission mindedness and character training it has won out year after year. I spent several days at the Midwest Convention looking at and evaluating high school programs and MFW again met all of our goals for laying a Godly foundation while providing strong academics.

That being said, no curriculum can meet every need and it would not be responsible to assume that a curriculum will teach them everything they need in those areas. A good curriculum can help meet those needs but parents, church and things like Bible studies, lectures or video lectures ( like the Truth Project) are all a part of creating a good foundation for our kids as they leave our home. I have found that the more my kids live the things they learn, through service projects or missions trips the more they understand the truths being presented to them. ( I think Crystal said a similar thing)

MFW lays a good foundation but it can not meet all of those needs, nor can any curriculum. It's up to the parent to take what MFW can give them and run with it. I am also continually evaluating what my kids need and I have added in books , videos and classes on purity, apologetics and worldview but I try and fit them into what MFW is teaching us in school. I supplemented these things long before they hit 10 though with things like Answers in Genesis videos and books for example.

edited to change typos. seriously, one of these days I'll learn how to type!

[Julie in MN]

Crystal and Dawn have made a great point -- it's the parents who are home-educating and the parents who are teaching their faith, and MFW is just providing some of the materials among other things you may be using.

However, as far as what MFW itself can offer... To me, it's a matter of putting our faith "on the schedule" so it isn't skipped, including God in our discussions of everything from art to science, and most of all putting us in the Bible every day. MFW does this.

Have you seen Donna's wonderful summary of what MFW will cover in terms of faith topics?
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php ... 004#p66798
And that is just the briefest sketch of a very large program. In some years, you will be learning hymns, praying for the president, and reading biographies that are excellent examples of character. You and your children will also always know exactly where in the Bible you are and the context you are reading from, so it isn't a devotional type set of random verses tacked on for appearance.

As far as not being swayed, this is very important to me, as well (being easily swayed myself when I was college aged). I could go on for days about that topic, but I do think the Hazells, having lived in another culture, are excellent leaders in this regard. And starting with ECC, children are grounded in the Word and praying for other people as a foundation for studying them.

And if you realize that it will be *you* discussing all of these things with *your own children* over the years, it will be very exciting!
Julie

[gratitude]

Crystal and Dawn have made a great point -- it's the parents who are home-educating and the parents who are teaching their faith, and MFW is just providing some of the materials among other things you may be using.

After reading some of the answers I thought I should clarify:

My question I guess was a little vague. We have been teaching them Bible since they were very small, long before curriculum. I guess the bottom line I am trying to figure out is where are we headed and how are we going to get there. Is MFW a part of the pie, a big part of the pie, or all of the curriculum pie? 'Curriculum pie' being the key word. Outside of curriculum we of course take our children to church, they do Awana, they have done some service on very small levels, it is part of our home, and I actually do more Bible than MFW assigns, etc. I am just trying to learn about where this particular curriculum goes as the years go by.

I am trying to better understand curriculums and its role in our home school. We do realize that training our children is our responsibility, which includes their faith.

A second reason that I brought this question up, in addition to what I added above, is lately I have been having memories of 'freshman college year'. I keep thinking that so many Christians were swayed to lose their faith and morals within a matter of weeks after starting college. Many of those individuals never have returned to their upbringing. It is a sobering thought as a parent. So I am thinking ahead and am now in my 8th year of trying to figure out how to train my children in the way they should go so that they will not depart from it. Perhaps MFW can be a part of the journey, it is currently. I am just trying to better understand the curriculum.

One of the main reasons we home school is we take their spiritual training very seriously and realize it is our responsibility. I think what home school curriculum we use will make a difference though in the 'outcome' we reach, and I would like to figure out the curriculum impact ahead of time rather than after the fact. I also would like it to be positive in its helping. 10 months into MFW is still too soon to know enough to fully tell what role it is playing in our home school. It of course has had some wonderful moments of impact, and added to what we are already doing in our home. Perhaps that is part of the answer.

Thank you for your thoughtful answers ladies. I have been impressed by the impact MFW has had on your lives and in the encouragement it has given you towards service.

[cbollin]

Carin,

ah, we old moms were getting all philosophical on you even though we were all on the same page. Sorry about that.

So, am I understanding it correctly that you'd like more of a scope and sequence across the learning stages kind of answer? If so, I have a link to an older answer I wrote a few years back.
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3149

and ditto the link that Julie gave to Donna's recent answer in context of Charlotte Mason philosophy and MFW and faith. That was good.

I guess we could come up with quick high school version.

AHL: read entire Old Testament. In CTG, it was OT overview. Now in high school, the student and parents are encouraged too as well, read the entire OT and answer thinking questions and comprehension questions. Students will compare and contrast the motivations of the living and true God compared to those of false gods in ancient myths, and how to relate to the true God. There are several essays where the student does that. They get the apologetics with Answer in Genesis book, and they are given a book on their age level to introduce some ideas how to live on purpose for God and how to relate to others. I like that MFW reminds us to do the Bible with our children in high school. Service projects are part of the high school grid too. Bible memory is encouraged from selections of verses that have personal application and meaning. Several resources are suggested for this in week 17. So, the Bible memory work changes from the style in elementary.

WHL: read the entire NT, and this is where I have to copy and paste from the mfw site since I haven't done WHL yet. "Read through the entire New Testament as well as challenging books such as More Than a Carpenter and Experiencing God: Youth Edition. Church history is integrated with the history studies" Literature analysis is done through Christian perspective on the literature

US1 (aka year 3)Biblical Worldview

* Develop a consistent Biblical worldview in the areas of theology, philosophy, biology, psychology, ethics, sociology, law, politics, economics, and history. Study Thinking Like a Christian by David Noebel and Chuck Edwards of Summit Ministries as well as Assumptions That Affect Our Lives by Dr. Christian Overman. Includes a daily journal and projects.
* Grow in applying God's truths to daily life through the encouragement and challenges in Growing Up Christian and Christian Character.
* Participate in service projects chosen and/or developed by the student and the parent/teacher.

US2 (year 4). piloting this year.


Is that more along the lines of info of what is covered and what you are looking for?

[doubleportion]

Just wanted to say a couple of things on how MFW has impacted my dd.

It was while we were reading our Bible readings in MFW that my dd came to be convicted of her sins and had her name written in the Lambs Book of Life.

Because of our experience in ECC my daughter now believes she is called to missions.

Those are just the top two for this family

Edie

[dhudson]

I would say that MFW is a big part of the pie. Which curriculum you choose does matter. We write a mission plan for our kids (who we wanted them to be when they graduated from our home) before we started home schooling and then we write goals each and every year for our kids in academic, personal and spiritual areas. We try very hard to be very deliberate in what curriculum we choose and if it doesn't meet our goals, we won't use it. I know there are a lot of curriculums out there that are great but I haven't seen one that is a strong in Biblical training as MFW.

What I can say is that my kids have a very strong Biblical foundation with an amazing heart for others and MFW plays a large part in that. The heart and vision of MFW mirrors the heart and vision we have for our kids.

Does that help?

[gratitude]

Which curriculum you choose does matter. We write a mission plan for our kids (who we wanted them to be when they graduated from our home) before we started home schooling

The philosophical answers were good reminders of my responsibilities as 'mom'. I think which curriculum we do will matter too.

I wish I had written a mission plan sooner, but with my oldest in first grade I suddenly seem very motivated to do so. I am thinking a lot about where do I 'hope' he is at when he is 20, and what do I want him to know and what do I want him to learn in the next decade? This of course then in turn applies to the other 3 children. It also makes me think a lot about our curriculum, since it does play a large role in each day.

I heard a lady speak on writing last night in our Home school Association monthly meeting. Her oldest is now 9th grade and before kids she tutored children for the SAT essay. She was going through an entire out-line of teaching writing from ABC to SAT that she put together when her oldest was 7. I was thinking that her out-line for writing is exactly what is now running through my head regarding Bible & Apologetics. The questions she was asking of how do I get my kids to write at a college level in highschool are similar to my questions of how do I get my kids to know enough Bible & enough Apologetics that they are lights in the darkness rather than another kid from a Christian home swayed by the wind with lost faith at age 20. So I guess in answer to Crystal's question. Yes, I am trying to figure out what MFW really offers overall in the areas of Apologetics & Bible and I guess my question is more curriculum scope and sequence based than I realized. So I will take the time later today and read through all the links everyone offered.

I have to say ladies I am once again amazed and awed and impressed by the 'heart' answers I receive on this board. The role MFW has played in your home schools is truly a rare testimony seen being given to a home school curriculum.

[dhudson]

Just an off-shoot thought. I just fininshed pre-reading "Bruchko" for my 8th grade son (doing the ECC 7th/8th supplement) and again am so pleased at the books and materials that MFW uses. Loved "Bruchko" and the message that it gives my son, "God will provide and will use you if you obey Him." (my summary)

This book will be a great spring-board for discussion.

[BHelf]

In regards to 20-somethings leaving their Christian faith in college:

Answers in Genesis did a study over the last few years and have a book with their findings called Already Gone. Their study found that amazingly kids "turn" away from their faith in elementary, middle or high school but they don't fully voice that until college. The reason is that most children are exposed to teachings contrary to the Bible in school and that churches (and parents) aren't teaching children Biblical foundations and how to defend what they believe, but instead are teaching bible "stories." Even more disturbing to me is that if a child attended Sunday School they are MORE likely to leave the faith than those who did not.

Anyway, I agree that the curriculum we choose does have an impact and it is ultimately up to us how we incorporate what we learn into our everyday lives. I also like what was said about no one curriculum being able to teach everything. I think MFW does an amazing job in what it teaches, but I also plan to incorporate some Answers in Genesis for kids bible studies in the near future in order to get an even stronger foundation in the Word and in being able to defend our faith. (For me as well as for my kids cause I am the personality type that usually backs down at the first sign of conflict instead of standing up for what I know is right.)

Just wanted to chime in about the AiG book though as I thought that study was super interesting and can't wait to read the book.

Brooke

[gratitude]

Answers in Genesis did a study over the last few years and have a book with their findings called Already Gone.

Thank you Brooke. Our kids are close in age. I just bookmarked Answers in Genesis. I had not heard of it before. It looks like it has some good resources.

Your statistic was sad and insightful. My DH & I are a bit sensitive to this issue since we both are part of the statistic. We both came back though; the saddest part to me is most who stray away don't come back. I had a very strong faith at age 14 that was ruined by 8th grade biology in ps. The strength of the faith though was easy to return to part way into college. My DH also had a very strong faith at age 14 that was ruined by college biology, which he returned to after college. The main problem for both of us was none of our Sunday school teachers or parents could answer our questions. Perhaps this is why I am suddenly realizing I better have the answers we found and then a truck load behind it for my kids who ask endless questions. Yet, being home schooled they know more about their faith at 7 & under than I did at 14. We will keep praying for them.



I just read all of the thread links. Thank you ladies for answering my questions, giving me some good laughs & smiles, and truly touching my heart with your obvious love for the LORD & for what MFW has done in your lives.

God Bless.